On June 29th during my Canadian vacation, I went to the Toronto Zoo. I'd wanted to visit the zoo since 2010 and finally I had the chance! I arrived at the zoo and it was a semi-rainy day. I got there about a half hour after opening and there were barely any visitors in the zoo. The day before I had gone to Canada’s Wonderland (which I’ll do a report about in the off topic section) and was still high on adrenaline so visiting the zoo was going to make my vacation that much better. Indian Rhinoceros Pavilion My first stop was to see Vishnu, Ashakiran & Nandu. I went into the Indian Rhino Pavilion and Ashakiran and Nandu were pacing around while the keepers were doing work behind the scenes with their radios playing in the background. Nandu isn’t so small anymore. He’s about a ton in weight and when he ran into the back stall I could feel the vibration. Ashakiran is a very good mom. She’s protective, makes sure he doesn’t get in to much trouble or is too rowdy. When the two of them first came out into the indoor viewing area, she stared me down for about 30 seconds before letting Nandu know it was ok to come out. Then I went to the outdoor exhibit where Vishnu was eating breakfast. The exhibit is my favorite Indian Rhino exhibit of all time so I was very glad I got to see it. Vishnu went for a dip in the pool and I got to hear him make noises and roll around. Then he snoozed off to sleep while I headed to other parts of Indo Malaya. Later at 2:00PM I came back for the keeper talk where I got to see Vishnu up close and got to ask any questions I had. Gaur Pavilion I came up to the Indo Malaya Pavilion and I wanted to see if the Gaur were still at the zoo. I went outside toward the Gaur Pavilion and saw their exhibit. It had a large cattle trailer hitched to the holding pen. It was the type you would transport bison with. Seeing the area where the mighty Hercules once roamed was truly awesome yet so depressing that these bovine bodybuilders of wild cattle will probably never be at the zoo again. I went into the pavilion itself and there were two female Gaur. The others had left but these two were just inside staying out of the dreary weather. They were females but they were enormous!!! I’m about 6’ tall and they had to be at least 5’8” tall. The area where visitors stand on is slightly taller than their area. The one female was a bit skittish and if you have sudden movements especially if she’s not paying attention she’ll run away. Also, when they snort through their nose it sounds as loud as thunder! I have no idea why not many zoos are keeping this awesome species but seriously they are missing out! The Gaurs seemed to be bored so I took out my phone and played some music which interested them and they moved to edge of the cable barrier. I filmed their entire exhibit and all of the signs and took panoramas on my phone since I wanted to preserve the Gaur Pavilion for all time even if it can’t exist physically because it’s going to be demolished for the new outdoor Sumatran Orangutan habitat. My video might just be the most comprehensive footage (1080p HD) of the Gaurs at the zoo online. Later, I caught up with one of the keepers named Angie who takes care of the Gaur as well as the Indian Rhinos. I was able to ask her some questions about the history of the Gaur at the zoo. She said that Hercules was a bit different than other members of the herd and for a male was quite tractable. She said he permitted the keepers to touch and pet him without any aggression. Sadly he died in 2011. I wish I could have seen him alive. Given how big the cows were, (could put the extinct Aurochs to shame!) he must’ve been a living mountain of muscle. I filmed them several times during the day even with my GoPro where I came into the barn and the one galloped out of the barn which was awesome to see! After I got a lot of footage, I bade them farewell on their journey to Parc Safari Quebec. Indo Malaya Pavilion After seeing the mighty Gaur, I walked back into the Indo Malaya Pavilion where I filmed Nicobar Pigeons, Crested Partridges, Pied Imperial Pigeons & Asian Fairy Bluebirds in the aviary section. It’s a great exhibit and even though my favorite Pigeon is the Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Nicobars have to be my second favorite. One even flew right in front of my face as it got off a feeding perch. Next, I wanted to see the orangutans. I got to see one before seeing the White Handed Gibbons and a cool display with skulls as well as hand and foot casts of Sumatran Orangutans. There also is a huge Reticulated Python nearby. Before coming out I got to see the male Sumatran Tiger pacing in front of the gate. The female was on the other side so I guess there might be tiger cubs on the way in the near future. The Sumatran Tiger habitat is so cool. It actually looks like a jungle! The only other exhibit that would beat it in my opinion would be Land of the Tiger at the Jacksonville Zoo. African Rainforest Pavilion I came up to the African Rainforest Pavilion and went inside. I was surprised to find two exhibits for Pygmy Hippos. Although they’re not as big, they’re still cool and to think that they are a close relative of the extinct Hexaprotodon hippos from way back when makes them that much more unique. After watching the Pygmy Hippos, I watched the Sacred Ibises and Dwarf Crocodile. I didn’t pay attention to the gorillas because they’re pretty much at every zoo. I went outside to find the Wattled Crane sleeping. I then headed onto the African Savanna passing the Red River Hog exhibit on the way. African Savanna I first saw the Masai Giraffes and it was early when I passed their exhibit. The one was running which I had never seen a giraffe do in person before so that was cool. This used to be the elephant exhibit but they’ve been gone since 2014. Next I saw the River Hippos which were in their pool. Next I saw the Greater Kudu and Southern Ground Hornbills on Antelope Ridge. After viewing the White Rhinos and Grevy’s Zebras, I observed the Marabou Storks constructing their nest and got to hear their courtship bill clattering ritual. They’re considered to be the ugliest bird but beauty comes in all kinds. I was lucky enough to see the Sable Antelopes come out but the Elands never came into view. The Spotted Hyena was pacing against the glass when I saw it. Australasia Pavilion Although I’m not much of an Australia fan, I headed to the Australasia Pavilion to see the Victoria Crowned Pigeons. One cool thing I learned is that depending on their mood they can raise and lower their head crest. I got within a few feet of a couple and afterwards I saw the Great Barrier Reef exhibit with the Clown Triggerfishes and Moon Jellies (Cnidarians are so awesome). Americas Pavilion & Mayan Temple I headed to the Americas Pavilion to the Scarlet Ibises and American Flamingos. The aviary was very nice for its size and would be a good inspiration for anyone who would like to build a decent sized aviary for their house. The Scarlet Ibis were stunning and were flying around. Then I went to see the American Flamingos. Their exhibit seemed small compared to the Howler Monkeys and Jaguars. By about this time it was almost time to leave so I headed back to the entrance. Discovery Zone My last stop was the Discovery Zone where all the animals that are in the zoo’s show live when they’re not performing. There was a Secretary Bird, a Marabou Stork and some hawks. The Marabou Stork’s name was Atell and her keepers said that what Atell wants pretty much goes. You don’t want to end up on the wrong end of that beak so therefore positive reinforcement is a must. Before I left I watched a black squirrel which is a variety I don’t see down south and then I left the zoo at 7PM when the zoo closes in the summer. Conclusion Overall the zoo over exceeded my expectations. The only thing I would suggest is to make a new exhibit for Gaur and maybe if they had the money, to create a large Asian Elephant exhibit in Indo Malaya with a large indoor exhibit like Copenhagen Zoo or Zoo Zurich so the elephants have a better climate during the winter season. Finally visiting Vishnu, Ashakiran & Nandu was a dream come true and seeing the Gaur before they leave was mesmerizing. I hope more zoos will keep them before they become endangered. The overall design of the zoo is fantastic, especially the way in the pavilions there are aviaries next to the other mammal and reptile exhibits is such a good concept. Several times I thought I was in Indo Malaya or Australasia itself! I wish I could’ve spent another day at the zoo. It was such an amazing experience. The next day I went to the ROM and the following day, Casa Loma which were both awesome too since it was Canada's 150th. I want to acknowledge @TZFan and @m30t for all their help. Thank you! Their tips and suggestions really helped in planning how I should spend my day there. Video footage and more photos will be posted/embedded in the gallery.
I am glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit, and especially that you were able to see the Gaur! Just a few minor notes on your report, unfortunately it is highly unlikely that tiger cubs are on the way. The male and female are regularly separated, and there are reproductive issues with the female that others on here can speak to better than me. I'm pleased you were able to see the Sables, it is an either/or with them and the Elands, they do not go on exhibit together. Just a minor note on the Mayan Temple, they are spider monkeys not howler monkeys. It is great to hear feedback on this zoo from a fresh set of eyes!
Nice writeup! I'm with you on the jellies, I wouldn't want to be stung by one but I find them fascinating.
